Son of a Heylin
by Ryosei Takashi Hime
Summary: Wuya is concocting a scheme to procure more power but she needs a lackie to steal the Wu she needs in order to enact her plan. She coaxes the son of Chase Young into stealing them for her. Slash warning! Original Character warning too.
1. Listless

Chase moved slowly and surely through his daily routine, taking no real notice of the pale hands that copied his own in their every motion. They had been following his movements since they were much smaller digits and he knew they were sure of their path by now. However, his confidence in his son did not stop him from glancing at the boy out of the corner of his eye for the sheer pleasure of knowing he was by his side. He was a teenager already though Chase could scarcely recall where all the time had gone and despite his strength his features spoke of an inner frailty behind those slitted, red eyes. He had spent all the time in the world building up the boy's physical prowess but he had never been able to relieve him of the emotional weakness he had inherited from Jack Spicer. It was as irreparable as the firey red hair that spilled down his back in spikes, making him stand out even in the darkest shadows.

"Father?" he asked, stopping abruptly under his stare. "Am I doing something wrong?"

"Of course not." Chase replied, patting his shoulder. "Let's end training early today."

"But we didn't even spar yet." he pouted.

"I can defeat you just as easily tomorrow as I can today." the Heylin legend smirked, tugging on the long strand of hair hanging over his son's pointed ear. "I have things to do. Go see how your _mother_ is doing. I think he mentioned needing your help today."

"Kay." he sighed as Chase turned and disappeared into the mouth of the cave before them.

Zach turned his back to his father's retreating form and headed for the edge of the cliff so he could stare out over the clouds that hung below them. The wind blew over him and lifted his hair from his back to toss it about merrily. The icy breath of the world blew through him and chilled him to the very core of his being. He breathed in as he spread his arms out wide to embrace the world. His black shirt was unbuttoned as usual and the threadbare undershirt he wore beneath wasn't much protection against the cold. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his black jeans after a while and stared down sadly for a few more moments, contemplating the world below. He sighed after a moment before stepping from the edge of the cliff calmly. He bounced off a few sharp rocks as he descended until his feet finally hit the surface of a steel floor. This was where Jack launched his flying vehicles but it was far quicker to enter this way than to navigate his way down from the lair.

As he entered he hit a wall of sound. One side of the evil laboratory was almost completely covered by vibrating speakers which Jack used to play the hard rock music he insisted helped him concentrate. The sound system was quite the nuisance to Chase because it could be heard almost all through the lair. Sometimes Chase would have to retreat to the top of the mountain to meditate. Zach tended to think that his very tesed patience with this particular habit showed a lot of love between his fathers. Among the many other habits he put up with from Jack. He also noticed that several of Chase's large tigers were slinking around in the shadows of the room. That meant that Chase had left the mountain completely today otherwise he wouldn't be worried about their safety. He smiled as the light from a blow torch caught his eye and made him turn in Jack's direction. He wasn't sure what they were going to be working on today but he was certain it would be challenging. Jack had a hard time slowing down for him unlike Chase had while teaching him martial arts. He was always too eager to get a project done to catch him up on all the details.

"Zach, that you?" Jack asked, sliding out from under his large robot.

"Yeah, Dad. It's me." he smiled as the other red-head sat up.

He had his goggles down over his eyes and Zach never got tired of seeing the side-splitting sight. Jack just smiled at him briefly and refused to lift them even as they spoke of their project. He often did this to see how long Zach could keep a straight face as he explained something to him with a serious frown and creased brow. When Zach would finally crack he'd lift his strange goggles and give him a soft punch to the arm to accompany his scolding of not taking anything seriously. He spent most of the day handing him tools which told him that the mechanics of the project far surpassed anything he could comprehend. For being the son of a genius he often felt quite dim when Jack left him out of the actual building process. It was probably just as well though. If he had tried to help without understanding he'd have felt bad for messing up something Jack was working on so hard. In fact he had been working on this particular robot off and on for the past year so he was content with being the assistant on this one.

After a few hours the conversation was starting to peter off as Jack's concentration intensified. Jack didn't notice that Zach was getting bored until one of their breaks. He insisted that Zach go play somewhere on the mountain for the rest of the day. Zach knew he would be just as bored going through his martial arts routine alone as he would be handing his dad tools but a little soitude was good sometimes. He exited the lab with a sigh and the music began to fade into silence as he scaled to the peak. He decided that the only way he would be able to endure the boredom - the only way he ever had - was to meditate. He knew it wasn't a good habit. It was very akin to a depressed person sleeping away their life. However he had nothing else to preoccupy him so it was a habit he would not be able to break anytime soon.

He perched himself upon the very tip of the mountain and stared over the clouds again. He wasn't ready to meditate just yet. In fact now that he'd gotten there he didn't think he wanted to meditate at all. He just wanted to stare at it all. This was the closest he'd get to ever being away from home. His fathers would never let him go down to the world below and he couldn't understand why. Of course he loved them both so much that he had never once thought of being disobedient but the temptation was growing everyday. Was the world below really so bad that he was better off living alone for the rest of his life? Would he be cursed to live out all of his days with his fathers? Sometimes he would dream of finding love but if he couldn't even meet others he knew it was useless to even think about it.

He sighed and put his chin in his hand, his elbow resting upon the higher of his two knees. The other leg was lower to help balance him on the small point that was considered the peak. He felt like he was slacking off but couldn't help it. He didn't want to search for anything to occupy his time. He just wanted to wallow in his loneliness and be miserable. Sometimes that made him feel better later. Maybe everyone felt that way sometimes. He sighed as the leg he was using to support himself grew tired and stood. He wasn't thinking of anything in particular at that moment so the voice that spoke so suddenly was clear and piercing.

"You really look just like him."

Zach gasped. He didn't know this voice. All of his life he had only known two voices and both were male. This voice was higher. Softer. Feminine. He'd never heard a female's voice before. He turned his head slowly to look behind him, thinking that perhaps he was hearing things but there she was. A woman. She floated in mid-air as she stared at him intensely. Long, dark red hair spilled over her back and her eyes were glowing green ever so slightly. She wore an ancient robe and the markings under her eyes made him touch his own as he turned halfway to face her. However her markings were square while his were curved spikes under each eye. Stil...he wondered if she was related to him. He wondered if...

"Mother?" he whispered.

"Oh, heaven's no." the woman laughed. "Please! Me, your mother? I couldn't bring myself to touch your father. That snot-nosed brat."

"You know my Dad?"

"Well, of course" she smiled, switching her tone to a pleasant lilt. "Haven't you heard of your auntie Wuya?"

"You're my aunt?"

"Of course not!" she sighed. "You're nearly as slow as your father too."

"Hey, my Dad's the smartest man in the world!"

"I'm sure he tells you that. Look, kid. I'm an old family friend. I thought I'd see how you people were doing up here."

"You live down there?" he asked excitedly.

"Well, of course. Only recluses like Chase and Jack live on secluded mountain tops." she sighed, stretching out and lying down in the sky. "So, where are they?"

"Father left the mountain today. Chase, I mean. And Dad's down in the lab working on something."

"Why? It's not like he ever actually does anything anymore."

"Ms. Wuya."

"Hey, it's Wuya or nothing' kid. I don't need to feel any older than I already do."

"Wuya...do you know which one of my fathers is my real father?"

"You mean they haven't told you?" she asked with a grin.

"No."

"Well, can't you tell?"

He shook his head softly and looked away. He had pondered over this very thing quite often throughout his life or at least since he'd learned of the birds and the bees. He really couldn't figure out which of the two was his real father. He looked so much like both of them but then again he possessed more of Jack's mannerisms than Chase's. He also had natural mechanical skills like Jack as well. Those two facts were often enough to make him lean more towards the idea of Jack being his real father. But then his mother would have to be someone like Chase or this Wuya. A Heylin.

"Would you like me to tell you?"

"You know?!" Zach asked, almost falling off the mountain as he turned around quickly.

"Of course. I told you I'm an old friend. In fact I knew them back when Chase hated Jack."

"Father hated Dad?"

Zach looked shocked at the very thought of Chase hating his Dad and that made Wuya laugh. Chase must have grown soft in the years they'd been apart if he was being kind to Jack. She smiled at the boy wickedly. So sheltered. So trusting. He would be the perfect little pawn. Just like his dad had been so many years ago. However she had high hopes that though he had the same slow wit that Jack was known for he would also have the strength that made Chase one of the most well known Heylin in the world. She sat up and put her fingertips together, staring at him eagerly.

"Well, would you like to know?"

"Yes." he whispered.

"Then you will have to do a favor for me first."

"What kind of favor?" Zach asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

"I'm afraid I've been the victim of thievery." she sighed with feigned sorrow. "And I need a strong young man to retrieve my possessions for me."

"Why don't you ask my Father for help?"

"I was more Jack's friend, really." Wuya replied stoically, examining her nails. "And you should know well enough how handy he is in a fight."

"I'll have to fight?"

"Well, of course. They're thieves. They won't just hand it over if you ask politely." she snapped, dropping her hand. "Don't tell me Chase didn't teach you how to fight!"

"He taught me but I've never been in a real fight with anyone before. I'm not sure if I'm...good enough."

"Well, you won't know until you try. Hit me!"

"...Hit...you?" Zach asked, eyes widening. "You're a girl."

"Trust me, kid. It won't hurt. Now hit me." she stated, pointing at her face.

Zach watched her eyes for any sign that she might be joking but she seemed to be in earnest. He balled his fist at his side but hesitated. What if he hurt her? He didn't want her angry at him. Then she might retract her offer. Besides, despite his lack of contact with girls he still knew it wasn't right to hit one. They were supposedly more fragile and weak than men. He decided to only hit her with a fraction of his strength just incase. He raised his hand and Wuya smiled as he thrust forward. She grabbed his fist just before it hit her face and picked him up off the mountain top with apparent ease. Zach kicked his feet as he was lifted into the air, looking shocked at the woman's strength.

"You weren't trying." she grinned. "Again."

Zach gasped as she dropped him abruptly but he managed to land on the mountain top. It did take him a few windmills before he could regain his balance but once he had he glared at her angrily. He could have fallen off the mountain completely and as bad as he wanted to see the world below he didn't want it to be the last thing he ever saw. Woman or not she'd nearly killed him and somewhat injured his pride. He balled his fist up again and slammed it into her stomach with all his strength. Wuya doubled over and grabbed her injured abdomen as he pulled back from her. He looked shocked and reached out a hand to see if she was okay. However Wuya only laughed. She straightened once again and threw her head back as she cackled.

"I actually felt that one!' she cried out just before her laughter subsided. "You'll do just fine, kid."

Zach dropped his hand and stared. He didn't like the tone of her voice nor the evil glint in her eye. He looked to the clouds below then back at Wuya as she extended a hand to seal the deal. What was he suppose to do? The only other way for him to find out who his real father was would be to ask one of them. He didn't think that would go over well with either man. Chase was likely to strangle him if the circumstances of his birth were negative. If he trusted this Wuya maybe she could help him find his mother as well. He raised his hand slowly and reached out for her clawed fingers. He hesitated for a moment - even pulled his hand back - but the doubtful look on his face passed quickly. He thrust his hand into her own and they shook on it. Wuya's evil smirk widened and Zach felt a small sense of regret in the back of his mind.

"Meet me at the bottom of the mountain tonight." Wuya instructed, releasing his hand from her tight grip. "Oh, and you may want to bring the Monkey Staff with you. I know Jack still has it."

"He keeps it in his room." Zach began. "How'm I-"

"Surely you're stealthy enough to get by Jack. He sleeps like a log."

"But Father doesn't."

"Yes, well, I happen to know he won't be returning until tomorrow. He has business with an acquaintance."

"Is that why you came today?" Zach asked, eyes narrowing. He was getting the feeling that Chase wouldn't want this strange woman on his mountain.

"You're a bit more shrewd than Jack." she grinned. "True, your father doesn't like me. He hasn't been fond of me since I betrayed him to Hannible Bean. Again!"

She laughed once more and slammed her hands together above her head. There was a flash of green light that blinded Zach for a moment. When his vision cleared again Wuya was gone, leaving only a small trace of her echoing laughter behind. Zack sat on the mountaintop for the next few hours as he thought about the pact he had just made with this complete stranger. He knew that it was very likely that she wasn't really a friend of Jack or Chase. She might have been an old enemy. It was quite clear she was Heylin of couse but that didn't mean that she was an ally. He had learned from his father that the Heylin were never a combined force. Each only looked out for their own needs and only allied themselves with other Heylin when it was absolutely necessary. If his father found out what he had done...

The sun was beginning to set before Jack came to fetch him. The clouds below parted as the propellers of his helibot broke through the blanket of mist. Zach looked down to watch him rise. He was lectured for worrying him for a moment but Jack could never stick to a scolding. He was soon chatting with him casually about Chase's absence due to business as they descended. Zach wouldn't eat dinner and Jack watched him with a strange look in his eyes as he poked at his meat. He asked if he wanted something different but Zach shook his head. His stomach was in knots. If he ate now it would only cause him complications later. If he was this nervous now there was no way his stomach would be settled once he actually got off the mountain.

"Hey, I know." Jack said suddenly. "Wanna sleep with me tonight? Like you did when you were little and Chase left us alone."

"I'm not scared to sleep alone anymore, Dad." Zach replied with a frown. "I'm sixteen."

"Yeah, but I'm thirty-six and I'm still scared to sleep alone." Jack responded with a grin.

"Kay."

Jack was worried that this confession of being afraid to sleep alone didn't make his son laugh. Something was wrong and he was sure it had to do with Chase leaving. He got moody sometimes when Chase left. Jack wasn't sure if this was due to missing the cantankerous Heylin or if it was because he was jealous of his father's freedom. Maybe he should see if Chase would let him take Zach out for a few days. But he doubted he would agree to such a thing. Chase was so overprotective of Zach. He was afraid that, being their son, someone would harm him to get to the two. Chase did still monopolize the "evil business" so to speak. Jack couldn't blame him. It worried the evil genius too. But surely there would be no danger in taking him to his parents' house. Maybe he could show him his old lair if his father hadn't converted it into a storage area by now.

"Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"..."

Zach looked up at his father as he stared at him curiously. He wanted to ask him who Wuya was but he knew that would give away the fact that she had been there. After all, neither of his fathers had ever told him about her before so what other reason would he have to ask about her? Maybe if he asked him about the Monkey Staff it would be less suspicious. He doubted it would reveal much about Wuya but if he had to use it as a weapon it would be useful to know how it worked. He put his fork down and turned his eyes away as he spoke.

"You know that thing in your room?"

"What thing?!" Jack squeaked, looking around nervously.

"...That staff you keep in that case." Zach replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Right...that thing..." Jack laughed nervously. "The Monkey Staff."

"Is it like an antique or something?"

"Sorta.Why?"

"...Father said it was a weapon." Zach lied, glancing over his Dad's head to avoid eye contact. "But it's just a stick so...it must have some kinda powers or something, right?"

"I guess. Why?"

"I was just wondering since I haven't been in your room for a while. I don't even remember exactly what it looks like. Is it mechanical?"

"No."

"Magical?"

"Yes."

Zach watched as a tiger came to take their empty plates away and sighed. Now he'd done it. Jack never answered questions in such short sentences unless he was trying to figure out what he was up to. Usually it only took one or two questions to send him off on an hour long explanation of something. Now he certainly didn't want to look him in the eyes. They sat in silence for the next few minutes as the tigers disappeared into the shadows. Zach could feel the thick silence pressing down on him as he tried to avoid his dad's stare. Jack scooted his chair out suddenly and it made an ear-splitting screech. Zach looked up at the sudden noise and their red eyes met. He almost cowered under his angry glare which was something Jack had never caused him to do before. That was Chase's job. Jack stared for what seemed forever before speaking again.

"It's a Shen-Gong-Wu." the genius said, frowning. "Don't touch it. If you do you'll have to answer to Chase."

"But why?"

"Because if you touch a Shen-Gong-Wu it will activate. And if it activates those Xiaolin losers will come here looking for it." Jack stated with the most stern expression Zach had ever seen on his face. "It's off-limits, got it?"

"Yes, sir." he whispered, looking away. "I was just curious."

"Let's go to bed." Jack replied, his face suddenly looking tired and old. "It's late. Chase will be back in time for school so you still have to get up in the morning."

"Yes sir."

Zach stood and followed Jack down the many corridors of the massive lair until they reached the room he and Chase shared. It was a long way from his own room and sneaking out would have been easier from there. However, he had to steal the Monkey Staff so it was better to start off here anyways. He climbed into bed beside the more affection of his two fathers. He tried to keep his distance but instinct had him curled up to Jack's side in no time. Jack smiled as he wrapped an arm around his son and wished him sweet dreams. Zach struggled to keep his eyes open though the warmth of the bed and his dad's arms made it somewhat difficult. Within the next hour or two he felt it was safe enough to make his escape. He lifted Jack's arm from his side gently and placed it around a pillow instead. He watched him sleep for a moment, frowning sadly. He didn't want to endanger him but if he took the Monkey Staff away from the lair he was sure anyone looking for it would end up following him anyways.

He picked up a screwdriver from the dresser where it lay beside many other tools and mechanical parts that Jack sometimes carted into his bedchamber to work on at night. This habit his father was always complaining about only made Zach's job easier. He unscrewed the glass frame from the case quickly and placed it against the wall as quietly as possible. He removed the Monkey Staff from the wooden pegs it hung on. As his pale fingers closed around the staff it began to glow and he gasped. He almost dropped it in shock but managed to catch it again after a little fumbling. He looked back at Jack's sleeping form but he continued to snore loudly. Zach sighed in relief and hurried from the room with all the stealth of a master ninja.

The climb down was so easy that Zach wondered why he had never tried to descend in the night so that his fathers wouldn't know he'd gone at all. Of course he knew why he hadn't. Chase had taught him utter obedience from day one. Only something like his current situation would coax him into rebellion. He lighted upon the ground at last and looked around in awe. There were trees everywhere. Zach had seen pictures of trees but he'd never actually gotten near one before. He had this sudden urge to climb it. Considering he scaled a mountain daily a tree shouldn't have invoked this feeling.

He ignored this fact as he ran over to the biggest, leafless oak he could find. He scrambled up into the bare branches and as he reached the topmost branch he felt an itching sensation on his lower back. He scratched without hesitation but found that he had a very large bump on his tailbone. And it was growing. He let out an animalistic screech as it burst through his jeans painfully. He gasped at the sight of a furry, reddish-brown tail sticking out of his backside. He reached a hand up to his face and found that he was growing fur all over. Now he knew the real reason it was called the Monkey Staff. This was the most awesome thing he'd ever experienced. He was starting to think he liked magic better than science. He felt a huge, fang-adorned grin spread over his face as he laughed screechingly.

"This is the coolest thing ever!" he exclaimed, hanging upside down with his tail.

"Like father like son." a familiar voice sighed.

"Wuya..."

Zach dropped from the tree and landed on all fours in front of the woman. He stood up straight though he had the urge to hunch. Even the monkey instincts the staff was endowing him with couldn't ruin the perfect posture Chase had beaten into him over the years though. He frowned at Wuya and thought about Jack, sleeping soundly up in the lair. What if she was planning to attack him while both he and Chase were gone? But that didn't make sense. The warriors were still prowling around and even in tiger form they were formidable opponents. Zach took a step back to put some distance between himself and the stranger. This could be a trap for him. As Chase's son any Heylin would risk their lives to use him as leverage. This was why he wasn't allowed off the mountain in the first place. He could have just made the worst mistake of his life.

"Are you ready, Mr. Young?" Wuya asked, gesturing to a path.

"Spicer." he corrected, narrowing his eyes. "Where are we going?"

"To the Xiaolin Temple. Has Jack ever told you about the legendary monks that live there?"

"He mentioned them when I asked him about the staff today." Zach said, looking down the dark path suspiciously. "The monks would have come to get it if I hadn't left the lair, wouldn't they?"

"Of course. Just as they came and stole mine." she answered with a pout. "They don't want anyone else to have one."

"Because we're Heylin and they're Xiaolin. We're evil and they're good. They're guarding them from us."

"That's right, kid." she continued, smiling as she placed an arm around his shoulders. "You catch on pretty fast."

Zach didn't resist as she guided him towards the dark path but he wasn't fooled. This woman was just trying to use him to get as many Shen-Gong-Wu as she wanted. Rather than take the risk herself she was going to use him as her lackie. He wasn't going to let that happen for long. He would get the Shen-Gong-Wu she asked for tonight and then demand the answer he sought. He would resort to telling his father if it came down to it but he would not be mad a fool of - that was for certain. Chase's pride was firmly embedded in every part of his being and even if it merely from being raised by him he wouldn't disappoint his father.

The path they took grew darker as they went on and soon Zach couldn't see an inch in front of his face. This worried him because that meant it wasn't a natural darkness. He could see fine at night which he assumed he inherited from his Heylin blood - whether that was Chase or some other Heylin. This darkness fell over them due to some kind of magic. Fortunately it was only a brief darkness because as it went on Zach began to realize he had inherited his dad's fear of the dark now that he'd actually experienced a full loss of vision. As they emmerged a small amount of moonlight lit their path. This was enough light that Zach could see everything clearly once again.

They were standing not too far from a large temple. This at least proved that Wuya was telling the truth and rid his mind of any doubts about her intentions. They approached the walls of the temple silently and Wuya seemed pleased with his stealth. She hopped onto the top of the wall but would go no further. Zach climbed up beside her and crouched on the wall with all fours, the Monkey Staff clutched in the grip of his new tail. Wuya pointed to a building in the center of the compound but had obviously put her hand out too far. A laser beam zapped through her fingernail and she cursed as she withdrew her hand.

"The security is fairly decent as you can see." she sighed, blowing smoke from her finger. "But the staff will help you get by that."

"Is that why you told me to bring it?"

"Of course not." Wuya whispered, rolling her eyes. "It's for the Xiaolin Showdown. You have to have a Shen-Gong-Wu to wager incase you get caught in one. It's a winner take all duel. Now, the monks have most of the Shen-Gong-Wu locked up in that vault."

Zach looked as she pointed to the building in the middle of the walled in temple again. It didn't look too out of the ordinary but he was sure that the monks wouldn't leave the magical objects in a building with no locks or security measures. Or guards. Since Wuya had said he would need to fight he was sure there would be guards. He began to feel his stomach tie into knots again as he thought about that. He had never even met anyone before and now the first people he saw he was going to have to fight.

"I only want the ones they took from me, of course." Wuya added, smiling once again. "I'm not selfish."

"Which ones did they take?"

"There are three that belong to me. The Ying Yo-Yo, the Yang Yo-Yo and the Sphere of Yun. It's very important that I have all three, understand?" she asked, grabbing his face and forcing him to look at her.

"Yeah." he mumbled, nodding. "And then you'll tell me which one is my real father, right?"

"Sure, kid." she sighed. "The vault is beneath the building. You'll need to hit the chimes on the right to open it. Three times each. Middle, right then left. Now get going. Meet me back at the path when you get them."

He nodded again and she released his face. He rubbed his cheeks and frowned as she dropped back to the ground. He was really starting to dislike this woman. He hoped all girls weren't like that. He turned his eyes back to the task at hand and took a deep breath as he tried to steady himself. This would be a test of all the training Chase had put him through. He stood and stared over the lawn. It would also be a test of all that Jack had taught him. He grinned as he spotted the source of the laser beams quite easily. He hopped into a tree just beside the wall and a laser shot at him. He screeched in surprise and covered his mouth as he jumped to the ground. He was having a hard time controlling those monkey instincts. He rolled out of the way as another beam hit the ground where he had landed. He made a sprint for the control box and ripped it open. A little rewiring deactivated the system without alerting anyone inside.

Zach sighed in relief and wiped his forehead with his arm, leaning against the wall for a moment. He picked up a rock and threw it onto the grass to make sure he had succeeded. When nothing happened he hurried to the vault, hoping there were no other surprises. He put a hand on the door to push it open when he noticed something. His keen eyes had spotted a small flicker of light within the building. He stood back and looked up to the roof to see the same light shining above. He climbed to the top and looked down through the skylight. Inside there were three men, a woman and a boy that looked to be his age. He sighed. He had hoped there wouldn't be anyone.

He watched the strangers as he contemplated what to do. It didn't look as though they were actually guarding the vault. They were playing cards, laughing and having an all around good time. His eyes watered up as he watched the woman hug the teenager. She had long black hair held up in a ponytail that reached down to her lower back. He couldn't see her face well from his position but he could imagine she had a kind expression. The boy she hugged pushed her away and Zach shook his head slightly as he sat up. It didn't seem as though they were going anywhere anytime soon. It was possible they always slept in the vault to guard it. He didn't have time to wait and find out. He had to get home before Chase returned in the morning.

With a slight grimace Zach raised the staff and slammed it into the window. Six faces looked up as glass rained down on their heads. Zach fell from the roof and landed on the stone floor without even bending his knees. He glared at the monks as they stared in shock but it didn't take long for one of them to react. A tan-skinned boy stood and pointed at him. He yelled an order to attack and Zach knew he was their leader. A large man in a cowboy hat charged at him but Zach jumped into the air before he could get his hands on his furry body. He landed atop the cowboy's head and sprang off, flying at the leader. The man didn't even flinch as he approached. He reached up and pushed at Zach's chest with both hands before he could land on him. Zach gasped as he was flung through the air and hit a wall.

"Who are you?" the leader demanded, pulling a sword from his side and pointing it at him.

"And how did you procure the Monkey Staff?" a small, round-headed man added.

"Yeah, isn't Jack supposed to have that one?" the woman asked thoughtfully.

"I stole it from him!" Zach shouted, hopping to his feet.

He jumped into the air and pushed off the wall, launching himself at the small crowd of monks. The round-headed boy grabbed his leg as he flew over his head and flung him back into the wall with ease. He calmly put his hands in his sleeves and stared at him with slanted eyes. A smug smirk spread over his face and Zach growled under his breath. He let loose a screech as he ran for him again but the monk hopped over his head without even taking his hands out of his sleeves. He kicked at him furiously but the monk simply stepped to one side. Zach tried to punch him in the face but he found his wrist caught in the grasp of small, yellow fingers. He hit the wall again.

"I am sure you had no trouble in fighting Jack Spicer, friend. However, you will find that I am not so weak."

"My dad's not weak!" Zach shouted before he could catch himself.

He covered his mouth with both hands as everyone in the room gasped.

"You are Jack Spicer's son?!" the round-headed monk asked in shock.

"No wonder we haven't seen the loser in so long!" the leader laughed. "He got married!"

"He's not a loser!" Zach screeched, jumping at them again.

They all stepped aside calmly as though they had anticipated his rage-induced attack. All except one. He hit the teenaged boy hard. Too hard. They went rolling across the floor together until they hit a wall. The entire building seemed to vibrate and Zach looked up at the sound of wind chimes. He jumped off the boy and ran at the door. He hit the chimes as he had been instructed and the floor began to sink into steps. The monks scattered to the edge of the walls to avoid falling into the abyss. Zach ran for the opening but wasn't quick enough. The yellow monk had hurried to intersect him. A tiny foot hit his face and sent him flying across the room. He hit the boy again and a coin flew from his shirt pocket.

"Kyoji!" the woman shouted.

The boy pushed him off and they both groaned as they held their heads. The woman was going to run to them but the leader put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head. Kyoji reached for the coin but Zach quickly realized what the item was. Their fingers touched the small object at the same time and it began to glow. Kyoji's eyes jerked up to glare into his own. They were a piercing green and Zach jerked back at the anger shining in them. He stood and Zach followed suit. He pulled but the boy wouldn't let go.

"I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown!" he shouted.

"...I accept." Zach whispered.


	2. Determined

Zach stared at the boy he was about to face in a duel he knew nothing about. He was probably the woman's son. His eyes were slanted like hers but his skin was a darker shade like the leader of the group. He was wearing robes much like the other monks. This lead Zach to believe he was a Xiaolin in training. An enemy rather than an innocent bystander. His shaggy, black hair was just barely covering one eye though this didn't seem to hinder his angry glare. Zach didn't really want to fight with this boy but he would have to if he wanted to get to the vault. He waited for the boy to make his move first but he seemed to be thinking. Finally he spoke again.

"I bet my Eye of Dashi against your Monkey Staff. The first to the Mantis Flip Coin wins." he stated, seriously.

"Really?" Zach asked, raising an eyebrow and turning his head to the side. "But we've both already got it."

"Gong-Ye-Tempai!" Kyoji shouted in response.

Zach was a little confused about this strange duel. He had thought it would be a battle to the death but this was far less challenging than he had expected. All he had to do was get the coin out of Kyoji's fingers first. He smirked as he relaxed, thinking how simple minded this other boy was to suggest such a ridiculous contest. Just as his ego was beginning to inflate the coin between their fingers began to shine. Suddenly Zach was blinded. He cried out as he staggered back and looked up to find the coin rising over their heads. He took a few more steps back as he gawked up at it and his foot landed on nothing. He screeched as he began to fall and his tail wrapped around Kyoji's leg. The monks ran to the edge of the vault as the two fell.

Kyoji's screams were drowned out by Zach's screeching and the young monk was astonished to find his enemy suddenly clinging to him. When they finally landed the monkey-boy hit him hard. He shouted an incomprehensable sound of rage as he pushed the stranger off once again and cradled his stomach in his arms. They stood and Zach grinned guiltily as Kyoji glared at him. His attention was drawn away from the angry boy however. The vault was beginning to rise around them and Zach screeched once again. Kyoji shot him a glare as he moved closer to the Xiaolin in training. The reluctant Heylin backed away with another grin and looked away from his piercing eyes. He could see stone drawers in the walls and assumed this was where the Shen-Gong-Wu were kept. He could also see the other monks staring down at them from above but as the walls continued to rise they soon disappeared. The event seemed to mystify Zach and he couldn't to take his eyes off the distant glow of the Mantis Flip Coin. Kyoji smirked. He would make use of his opponets inexperience.

Zach was shocked when Kyoji suddenly sprang into the air. He bounced off the sides of the wall and dodged drawers as they shot out at him. Zach growled as he pursued the other boy. His monkey feet proved to be very helpful and he scrambled over drawers as though they were nothing. Kyoji looked down to find the enemy approaching swiftly. He jerked a drawer from the wall and dropped it. Zach gasped. He hadn't expected a good guy to do something that could be considered anything close to dirty. He pushed off the wall and flew through the air, avoiding the heavy chunk of stone as it shot down the tunnel like a rocket. Zach climbed onto a drawer as it shot out and jumped at Kyoji. As he was flying through the air Kyoji stopped and grabbed at the pendant around his neck.

"Eye of Dashi!" he shouted, aiming it at Zach.

Zach was so surprised by the fact that lightning was actually shooting out of his opponets accessory that he didn't even think about taking evasive action. He shouted in agony as his veins coursed with electricity. Kyoji smirked but it soon faded as he saw that Zach was withstanding the assault. He gritted his teeth as he grabbed onto a drawer and pushed himself up with such strength that he shot over Kyoji's head. He landed above him and gave the shocked boy a fang-filled grin as he kicked him in the face. Unfortunately this didn't seem to loosen Kyoji's grip on the drawer to which he was clinging. The fact that Zach had managed to withstand his attack had injured his pride and he glared at Zach with a look of such ferocity that Zach gasped. He turned to flee from his raged expression but Kyoji grabbed his tail before he could make his escape.

Kyoji threw him against the opposite wall of the vault but when he released Zach's tail it didn't release him. Kyoji gasped as the red-brown appendage wrapped around his wrist. Zach hit the wall hard and broken stone rained down on Kyoji's head as he too hit the wall. As he did so a drawer shot out and hit him in the stomach as well. Unlike Kyoji Zach actually managed to pull himself up to a drawer and laughed as he swung Kyoji back towards the wall. Kyoji groaned as he watched the wall approach again and was glad to see the drawer close before he hit the the hard rock again. Zach removed his tail but Kyoji grabbed it again, looking up at Zach with the expression the Heylin was starting to fear. His fist tightened around his tail which was painful all on its own but then he felt Kyoji pull down on his fifth appendage with such force he knew he would shoot straight through the earth when he landed.

However Zach refused to go down alone and Kyoji gasped when he felt himself pulled along for the ride. Kyoji punched Zach in the head a few times in hopes that he would let go but Zach was more focused on stopping the fall before he ended up on the bottom of the vault again. He grabbed onto a drawer but their momentum and weight must have been too much for it. It came loose and Zach cursed as he threw it up at Kyoji who dodged the stone missile easily. He watched it rise and then fall again. Zach realized how stupid a move it was as soon as it came back down at him. Kyoji laughed when he looked down just in time to see it land on Zach's face. The tail around his wrist unraveled as Zach fell away.

He hit the wall and bounced off before he could manage to grab another drawer. He wiped the blood from his nose and sniffed as he stared up at Kyoji. His retreating form was blurred by tears of pain and he wiped these away as well before continuing. As he was climbing the drawers he looked down to notice something he should have seen before. The Shen-Gong-Wu were actually in some of them. He saw a pair of chopsticks in one but this wasn't what he was looking for so he left them. He opened a few empty drawers, searching for the Ying and Yang Shen-Gong-Wu. He thought this would be more easily identifiable than the Sphere of Yun. He saw a mirror, a pair of glasses and even a heart as he searched. He shouted in triumph as he opened a drawer to finally reveal the Ying Yo-Yo. He reached in for it but as his fingers closed around the precious object the drawer shut abruptly. He screeched as he tried to pull his hand free without having to let go of the Ying Yo-Yo. He looked up to see how far Kyoji was only to realize he couldn't see him at all. The light from above was growing brighter until he couldn't see at all.

He gasped when he suddenly found himself standing above ground again. He held his throbbing hand as he stared at the monks. They were gathering around Kyoji who was holding the Mantis Flip Coin, the Eye of Dashi and the Monkey Staff! Zach gasped as he stared at his dad's most valuable possession. He twisted to look at his backside to find that he was tailess as expected. He had lost. How was he going to explain this to his fathers? The thought of what Chase might do to him as punishment made fear fill every part of Zach's body. He would find out Zach had left the mountain, convorted with an old enemy, lost a Shen-Gong-Wu and disobeyed him in more ways than Zach could count. The red-head wailed miserably as he put his hands to his face and the monks stared at him curiously. Kyoji however seemed to be confused. He was staring at the items in shock and looked up to the older monks.

"How did I win?" Kyoji asked. "I never made it to the top."

"Perhaps he cheated" the yellow monk exclaimed.

"Jack cheated all the time, Omi." the woman replied. "That never ended a Showdown early."

"That was the only way he ever won, actually." the leader said with a laugh.

He had known this statement would get a rise out of their most memorable enemy's son. He watched as the boy's hands balled into fists and smirked at his anger. Zach lifted his head so fast that his hair almost flew into the air and his eyes were glowing red slightly. He dropped his fists to his side and the monks thought he might pitch a fit as Jack had many times before him. However the boy's fists began to glow and he stepped forward as though he were going to attack again. The monks took fighting stances but a dragon came into the room suddenly and everyone looked over at him. He looked from the monks to Zach's enraged face a few times then laughed nervously.

"I sensed a Shen-Gong-Wu." he said, approaching the leader. "Bad time?"

"Would that Wu be the Monkey Staff by any chance, Dojo?" the cowboy asked.

"Yeah. Why?" he asked before looking up and seeing Kyoji's armful of Wu. "Wow, your kid's fast Raimundo."

"He's a chip off the old block. Right, kiddo?" Raimundo laughed, putting his elbow on Kyoji's shoulder.

"Yeah, Kimiko's block." the cowboy joked, elbowing Raimundo in the ribs.

"Excuse my inerruption of Kimiko's much deserved praise, Clay." Omi stated calmly. "Perhaps we should question Dojo on the matter of the Showdown."

Zach curbed his temper at this and decided to find out why he had lost. He took a few steps back, hoping the shadows of the room would make him less noticable. The monks seemed to have forgotten about him for the moment and Zach was somewhat glad his dad had set the bar so low. Obviously they didn't see him as much of a threat if they werer willing to have a casual conversation while he was around. He preferred it this way actually. If they weren't afraid of him they wouldn't be as vigilant as they might have had they known his other father happened to be Chase Young. He watched as Dojo thumbed through a small book while the others explained the events of the Showdown to him.

"Let's see..." he murmurred as he flipped through. "No. No. Nope. That's not it. I don't see anything. Are you sure that's all he did?"

"I think he was going through the drawers!" Kyoji exclaimed suddenly. "That's how I got so far ahead. No wonder he wasn't chasing me. He was after the other Wu."

"That's it!" Dojo confirmed, snapping the book shut. "During a Xiaolin Showdown each opponet can only use the Shen-Gong-Wu they took into the Showdown with them. The other Wu were off-limits because they were a part of the surrounding enviroment."

Kyoji looked down at the Wu in his hands and back up at Zach. The boy had withdrawn into the shadows and his eyes were glowing from within the darkness but the look on his face was somewhat forlorn. Kyoji sighed as he passed the Mantis Flip Coin to Kimiko. The other monks watched in silence as Kyoji walked towards Zach. The Heylin boy jerked back from him and raised his fists but Kyoji stopped in front of him. He smiled softly and Zach relaxed. It was the first he'd seen anything but anger on the monk's face. It made his hard features soften and his face looked almost beautiful. He found himself staring into tender green eyes as the boy reached out towards him.

"Take it." Kyoji whispered. "I didn't really win."

Zach looked confused and it took him a moment to realize that Kyoji was returning the Monkey Staff to him. Kimiko sighed proudly at her son's noble actions and Omi put his hands in his sleeves with a smile. Clay tipped his hat down slightly to hide his own smile but Raimundo was staring at Zach angrily over his son's head. Zach didn't seem to notice this however. He was still staring at Kyoji and Raimundo didn't like the expression on his face. Zach reached down to take the Monkey Staff and when his fingers closed around it's worn surface Kyoji turned from him. This seemed to break his trance and Zach finally noticed Raimundo's angry stare. He looked away and his eyes met Kyoji's as he turned to stand in front of his mother.

"Thank you." Zach said, looking genuinely grateful as he clutched the staff close. "My father would have...Thank you."

Zach watched Kyoji's face as it took on the same expression he had been greeted with when the Showdown began. He couldn't get over how deep and piercing those hazel eyes were. He felt like Kyoji was staring straight through him and down into his blackened soul. He dropped his arms to his side suddenly and returned the glare. His red eyes shone in the candlelight and Kyoji was surprised to see such a serious look on his face. It was nothing like his somewhat comical enraged expression and a far cry from the nervous grin he had given him. His face was so calm and neutral that it felt unnatural to Kyoji.

"This isn't over." Zach whispered, narrowing his eyes. "I need those Shen-Gong-Wu."

Raimundo opened his mouth to say something smart to the young Heylin but the red-head raised a fist into the air. He slammed something to the ground and a cloud of dust errupted around them. The older monks coughed and waved the smoke away but Kyoji just watched as Zach disappeared into the darkness outside the temple doors, knowing that the other boy was more of a threat than his parents would admit. He was clumsy and ruled by his emotions but he had plenty of power hidden beneath his flaws. He put a hand up to the Eye of Dashi and turned his eyes to the ground as the scowl left his face.

Zach hurried down the path leading out of the temple and didn't slow his steps until he had reached the forest. He stopped when he was sure he was far enough away and looked back at the temple, reflecting on his battle. He had not done well to be sure but he had to get those Wu. He sighed as he turned toward the path. He didn't want to fight Kyoji again. For one thing it resulted in a lot of pain and for another he didn't think he wanted to cause the other harm. The look the boy had given him made him seem less like an enemy. The smile had made him seem warm and friendly. Inviting. How could he hurt someone who had given him the first kind expression outside his family?

"Why the long face, kid?" Wuya's voice rasped from above.

"I lost." Zach stated, refusing to look up at her.

"What?!" she demanded, dropping to the ground in front of him.

"I said, I lost!" Zach growled. "It was the first time I've ever fought someone. What did you expect?"

"From the son of Chase Young?" she demanded, crossing her arms. "I expected competance but it seems the Spicer blood runs too thick in your veins, boy. Find your own way home!"

Zach gasped as she slapped her hands together and disappeared again. He sighed heavily and gripped the Monkey Staff tightly in his hand. He was growing to hate this Wuya woman. He felt he would be better off telling her to get lost. However, if he did he wouldn't have an excuse to go back to the Xiaolin Temple. He wandered the forest in silent thought for some time before coming across Wuya's enchanted path. He knew he had reached it when the darkness closed around him. He hurried forward and let out a sigh of relief when he came out at the base of his mountain home. He climbed up slowly though he knew he should hurry before Chase returned. He couldn't find it in himself though. He was tired from his fight and he was hurt by the way Wuya had insulted and abandoned him.

He entered the lair silently and made his way down the darkened coridoors until he found himself at his fathers' bedchambers once again. The door creaked as he pushed it open and Zach cringed. He took his shoes off before stepping inside and tip toed over to the open case on the wall. He gently placed the Monkey Staff back inside and screwed the front back on quickly. He stood there for a moment, staring at the mystical object. His dad had chased after them as a child. He had never heard Jack speak of this fact but he felt it in his heart. Jack had wanted those Shen-Gong-Wu. To hell with Wuya. Next time he would take what he could get his hands on. He put his hand on the case and smiled. If he was going to do this he would do it for his dad. He knew this was the only way he would be able to do it without feeling guilty about disobeying him.

"Zachary." a cold voice he knew well echoed through the large room.

"Father." Zach whispered, turning around slowly.

He gulped as he was greeted by the sight of Chase standing in the doorway. He was lit from behind by a torch on the wall and Zach stared at his shadowy form. He stood with his arms crossed and had already removed his armor in preparation for bed - probably to avoid waking Jack. It was obvious he hadn't been expecting to see Zach in the room but that didn't mean he suspected anything. Zach smiled at him and put his hands behind his back, looking away as he lied. He knew he could never sucessfully fool his father if he stared him in the eye.

"I was scared cause you didn't come back tonight so I slept with Dad."

"You're a bit old for that now, Zachary." Chase replied, entering the room.

"I know. Sorry."

Chase glared at Zach and he almost began to sweat under his intense stare. He knew Chase was trying to get him to look up but he refused to do so. Nothing Chase did could make Zach look up at him at a time like this. It was a life or death situation and Zach wouldn't die in the horrible manner he knew he would if his father figured out he was leaving the mountain. He whispered a goodnight and tried to hurry by the stricter of his fathers but Chase didn't let him go so easily. As he was passing by Chase grabbed his wrist. Zach turned but didn't look up.

"Sleep well, Zachary." Chase whispered, voice so low Zach could have been imagining it. "I love you."

Zach flinched as Chase leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. His wrist was released and Zach hurried away, heart thumping rapidly. He hurried into his room and slammed the door behind him. He put a hand to his chest as he leaned against the wall and panted for breath. His father hardly ever, ever told him that he loved him. Did he suspect? Was he trying to guilt him into telling on himself? He walked over to his bed and fell onto it with a sigh. He wiggled under the covers and shoved the pillow over his head with a groan. He didn't want to have to get up in the morning for school. He closed his eyes and in the darkness he could see green orbs of intense anger staring back at him. Kyoji's eyes haunted him until he fell into a fervent, dream-filled sleep.

"Zach!" a voice shouted at him as the whole world seemed to shake. "Zachary Cornelius Spicer! You get up right now! Chase is gonna kick your ass!"

"No...sleepy..." Zach grumbled, rolling onto his stomach.

Jack sighed as Zach kicked his feet and groaned. Why had he went back to his room last night anyways? Maybe Chase had run him off. Jack sat down on the side of the bed and smiled as he pulled the pillow off his head to find a huge puff of red hair. He remembered back to when Zach had slept with the two of them often. Chase tried to pretend it had been an annoyance but Jack would wake in the middle of the night to find the Heylin legend cradling their son gently. Jack brushed Zach's hair down with his fingers as he drooled into his pillow and stared down at him lovingly. He was late for school but Chase wouldn't be too hard on him since he had been the one to wake him so late last night.

"Daddy..." Zach mumbled, swiping at his hand. "Stop."

"It's time to get up, Zach." Jack responded. "Chase's gonna be mad if you don't get the library on time, ya know."

Zach shot out of bed at the thought of Chase smacking him in the back of the head and Jack laughed at him. He left the room so Zach could get dressed and when he had gone Zach sat on the edge of his bed, hands clasped. He was worried about spending the day with Chase even if it was in school. What if he did or said something to give himself away? He sighed as he got to his feet and prepared himself for the day. He knew he would have his hands full from now until he'd stolen back Wuya's Shen-Gong-Wu. His days would be spent trying to avoid eye contact with his father at school and maybe if he was lucky he could sleep some more in the afternoon. However, his nights were certainly going to be sleepless.

He drug his feet as he made his way to the old, dusty library where Chase had taught him all the things Jack couldn't. He learned more than history and math in this dim room. Chase had been trying to teach him magic as of late. Zach didn't take to it as easily as he would have hoped but that didn't mean he could quit. He sat down at the table where the books he would be using for the day had already been set out. He took a quick glance at them and found that today would luckily be easy. Heylin History, Dark Literature and Math were staring back at him. He loved math and Heylin History fascinated him. He could have done without the literature but he was glad it was that rather than magic.

"You're late." Chase hissed, glaring at him.

"Sorry, Father." Zach whispered, keeping his eyes on his books. "I didn't sleep well last night."

"That's no excuse. Read your literature."

"Yes, sir."

Zach opened his book and slowly turned the pages as he searched for the last story he had been reading. He watched out of the corner of his eye as Chase walked by him and flinched when he saw a hand coming at his head. He expected to be smacked for his tardiness but the fingers landed on his head softly, pressing his spikes flat. Zach almost looked up out of his surprise but managed to keep his eyes on the book as Chase petted his hair softly. Zach knew that Chase suspected him of something. There was no possible way he would be giving him such loving gestures if he didn't.

"You look so much like your mother." Chase whispered, voice icey and cold.

Zach gasped and his eyes shot up to Chase's face. He had just made a huge mistake. He had forgotten for a moment how often Chase called Jack his mother. He had thought for just a second that Chase had been referring to his real mother. Those golden eyes stared down into his own with a look of triumph and Zach tried to look away. It was too late. He was trapped by Chase's gaze. He couldn't be sure if Chase had realized the truth or not but he wouldn't look away until he did. He was still trying to figure it out. He knew Zach was up to something but he didn't know what. Zach blinked and looked away, breaking the tense moment.

"Read." Chase commanded, removing his hand as he turned his back to Zach.

Zach tried not to sigh in relief and focused on his school work. He got through his literature with a little effort and shot through math. As he was tapping his pencil on one of his finished problems his mind began to wonder. He thought about his battel with the monks. They all had so many Shen-Gong-Wu. They could utilize the magic of any of them at any time and yet he had nothing but his own two hands. He was thinking of how he could use some more Shen-Gong-Wu to battle them when Kyoji's eyes suddenly entered his mind. They stared back at him when he closed his eyes. He didn't know what it was about those eyes. Those beautiful, piercing eyes that seemed to stare into his soul. The rest of Kyoji was just starting to invade his daydreams when he was suddenly interrupted by a sharp pain in the back of his head. He opened his eyes and grabbed the spot Chase had smacked with a look of pain.

"Pay attention!" Chase snapped.

"I am!" Zach returned, cursing him under his breath. "I'm done with my math!"

"Then move on to history."

"Father, what about magic?" Zach demanded, suddenly.

Chase stopped as he was turning away from his son and a look of suspicion crossed his face. He knew how much Zachary detested learning magic. Why was he suddenly interested now. It was true that Chase would rater he be eagar to learn but he wouldn't let this blind him to the fact that such a sudden interest only increased his suspicions. He turned to face Zach once again with a faint smirk. He would let it go for now. Whatever Zach was up to it was certainly pointing him more in the direction he had hoped he would go in when he reached this age. He gave Zach a slight nod of his head as he exited the dim room and Zach followed with a grin. He still hated magic but he was willing to learn if it would help him get the Shen-Gong-Wu.


	3. Encouraged

Zach sighed as he struggled to hold a ball of energy in his hands. The green light between his palms began to flicker, but he managed to keep it glowing. He had the natural ability, but Chase had told him that he would need more than a little practice to control it. It had been weeks, and he was still working on it with little results. He was starting to have stronger reactions when he got emotional, however. He could at least count on a burst of energy flying from his body when he felt threatened. He'd found this out when he started doing it to Chase. Every time he felt that he was staring at him suspiciously a huge wave of energy shot from his body, much to Chase's annoyance. Right now he was practicing in his room on his own. He made more progress that way - without Chase looming over his shoulder. He had even started neglecting his mechanical teachings with Jack to improve his skills in magic.

He still hadn't gone back down to the Xiaolin Temple, though Wuya had shown up a few times in attempts to urge him along. He wanted to get the hang of a few of the basics before he tried to use magic in a battle. He didn't want to risk looking like an idiot in front of Kyoji. He had already made a fool of himself enough during the first battle. He cringed at the thought of being hit in the face with the stone drawer he had thrown up at Kyoji. That had to be the dumbest thing he had ever done. His energy flickered again, and he took his mind off the embarrassing moment. As he concentrated it strengthen and even grew a little. Zach smiled happily. He was finally getting the hang of it!

"What are you doing now, boy?" an annoyed voice asked from behind him.

The energy in his hands disappeared as he jerked away from the sound. He tripped on a stray shoe as he tried to turn and fell to his butt. Wuya grinned down at him, and he frowned. She always popped up and surprised him like that. He should have expected her today since Chase was gone again. Zach didn't know what his father was doing lately, but he was putting so much work into it that he didn't think he had to worry about being discovered too much anymore. Wuya offered him a hand after her laughter subsided, but he knocked it away, choosing to save some of his dignity by standing on his own.

"What do you want?" he demanded.

"My Shen-Gong-Wu, of course," she responded with a serious look, "It's been weeks since you failed."

"I'm trying to make sure I don't fail again," Zach shot back, "I'm learning as fast as I can."

"Please, how hard can it be? It's just basic magic." Wuya scoffed, waving a hand at the very idea of magic being difficult.

"It's very hard for me, okay?" Zach whispered, looking away, "I just don't get it..."

"There's that Spicer blood again." Wuya sighed, crossing her arms.

"Are you saying Jack's my real father, then?" Zach asked, walking right up to her, "Cause with you saying that so much I don't think I need to steal Wu for you now."

"Don't be ridiculous, boy," Wuya hissed, leaning down to stare into his face, "I could be saying it so you don't find out Chase is your real father."

Zach couldn't meet her gaze and took a step back after a moment which made Wuya smirk. It was a lot like trying to keep eye contact with his Father without faltering. It must have been a Heylin thing. He wondered if he could do it if he wanted to. Maybe it came with age. Zach turned his back to her and tried to recreate the energy she had caused him to lose. Before he could get so much as a spark, Wuya swept in front of him, and he jerked back again. He hated how swiftly and silently she moved.

"I will not be ignored today, Zach," she growled, fangs bared, "Get down there tonight and get my Shen-Gong-Wu or the deal is off!"

Zach gasped and stepped back as her hand came at his face. She grabbed his cheeks and pulled him back to her chest. He was sure she was going to bite his face off, but as she was glaring at him there was a knock at his door. She dropped him and turned to stare at the door with a look of disgust as Jack's voice wafted through. Of course it was Jack. Zach knew Chase would never bother with knocking even if he had been home. Wuya turned back to him as the doorknob jiggled and grabbed his shirt. She mouthed a threat to him that he barely caught – something about ripping his head off - before disappearing in her usual flash of green. Zach rubbed his face as Jack opened the door.

"Zach?" Jack asked, catching the flash of green, "What are you doing?"

"Working on my magic." he replied, quickly.

"I thought you hated magic." Jack pondered aloud as he closed the door behind him.

"I do! But...Father wants me to learn it, right?" Zach lied, looking at his feet, "If I get better it'll make him happy."

Jack smiled at his son's desire to please Chase. It reminded him of himself a little at that age. Always wanting to find something to do that would make him useful to the powerful Heylin. Jack used to cause more trouble for Chase than anything in the beginning, but all Jack wanted was to be useful. Of course, he never did find much that Chase needed him for until Zach came along. Then he needed him to be a housewife! The jerk! Jack poked his lip out at this thought, and Zach looked up at him, wondering what was wrong.

"Did...you want something, Dad?"

"Oh, right." Jack said with a grin, "I've got a surprise for you."

"What kind of surprise?" Zach asked, smiling widely.

"I've been talking to Chase," Jack said, putting his hands behind his back, "And he's decided to let you do something he's never let you do before."

"What?!" Zach asked, growing so excited he was practically bouncing.

"Guess!" Jack insisted, balling his fists in front of his face.

"Well, that'd be hard since he never lets me do anything." Zach pouted, crossing his arms.

"Come on, Zach," Jack urged, "It's something he'd never let you do in a million years."

"There's no way he's letting me off the mountain..." Zach thought out loud.

"He is!" Jack exclaimed.

"You've gotta be kidding!" Zach gasped, "Really?"

"Yeah. He said I could take you down to my old house to see my lair," Jack said with a hint of pride as he inspected his fingernails, nonchalantly, "And I'm not telling him, but afterwards we can go out to do some normal stuff."

Jack was surprised at the sound of a small gasp and looked up to find tears in Zach's eyes. He was about to ask what was wrong, but as he was reaching a hand out for his shoulder Zach lunged at him. Jack smiled as his son hugged him, burying his face in his chest as a few tears escaped his eyes. Zach had already been off the mountain, but the fact that Jack had risked arguing with Chase to let him have a chance at experiencing at least one normal day in his life made Zach appreciate the evil genius all the more.

"Thanks, Dad." Zach sniffled.

"Alright, don't get all weepy on me," Jack sighed, petting his hair, "Besides, you better thank Chase later. If you do he might let us go out more often. Let's go before it gets too late."

Zach grinned and wiped his eyes with a nod. He followed Jack down to his lab with quicker steps than usual. He knew that he would have to go down to the Xiaolin Temple as well, but he wouldn't miss the chance to spend the day with his Dad for all the Shen-Gong-Wu in the world. If he lost due to fatigue there wasn't much Wuya could do about it. After all, if she killed him who would get her Shen-Gong-Wu? Zach hopped into the passenger side of one of Jack's jets and buckled up, making sure to pull his seatbelt tight. He'd been in jets with Jack before during prototype tests, so he knew to make sure it was securely fastened.

Zach smiled and watched the clouds pass them by as they made their way to Jack's old house. He was eager to see his father's childhood home, but what he was looking forward to most was going out among other people. He could study how others his age acted, and for once in his life he would be able to feel normal. He could feel himself overwhelmed with joy at the thought of being normal. When they arrived at the large mansion Jack landed his jet in the yard. Zach hopped out and landed next to his father, but as they headed for the door a thought suddenly ran through his mind. A thought he should have had the minute he was told their destination.

"Dad...." Zach whispered, trotting at his dad's side to keep up with his excited steps.

"Yeah?" Jack asked, smiling.

"Do your....parents still live here?"

"Of course." he replied with a laugh.

Zach stopped with a gasp and Jack turned to face him. He watched his son's face become the picture of sorrow. He approached him slowly and placed a hand on Zach's shoulder as the tears welled up in his eyes. He hadn't thought about how the realization that he had grandparents would affect Zach. Jack could only imagine how he felt now: betrayed, deceived, hurt. He probably wondered why no one had ever told him. He knew he would be hurt if he were in the same situation.

"I'm sorry, Zach," Jack whispered, "I thought it would be better if you just never knew."

"Because Father wasn't going to let me meet them anyways. Right?" Zach replied, lowering his eyes, "He never lets me do anything."

"He just wants you to be safe." Jack stated, petting his hair, "We both do, ya know?"

"Yeah. I know, Dad."

"Come on." Jack says with a smile as he takes his arm, "Let's go see your Grandma. She'll be pretty surprised."

Zach smiled as he was pulled towards the door, but he still felt hurt that his father had never intended him to meet his own grandparents. How could he be so heartless? Or did he think it was unnecessary because they weren't really his grandparents at all? Where were Chase's parents? Were they still living? Did he ever see them? He had barely even entered the house of Jack's parents, and so many questions about Chase's were filling his mind. There was so much neither had told him of their past and it hurt a little to only be finding out now.

"Mom!" Jack cried, slamming the door behind him, "Moooom!"

"Jack!" a woman's voice echoed in response, "Is that my little Jackie?!"

Zach looked up in surprise as a woman came running down the long hall. She wore her grey hair in an elegant style that almost seemed to be piled on top of her head, and she dressed in a sophisticated evening gown. He was almost worried she'd trip and hurt herself because of her thin frame. However, she seemed to be in quite the good shape for her age and slammed into Jack like a brick wall. Zach took a step back and smiled as he watched the tearful reunion of mother and son. He listened as she explained that Jack's father was away on business, but she stopped in the middle of her explanation as she caught sight of the young boy that resembled her "little Jackie" so.

"Jack....who is this?" she asked with a hint of suspicion in her voice.

"Mom," Jack grinned, putting his arms around Zach's shoulders, "This is Zach. He's my son."

"Oh my god!" the woman screamed and Zach gasped as she lunged at him, "He's so adorable. Why didn't you write me?! Who's the mother?! More importantly, where is she?!"

"She's back home," Jack laughed, trying to pry her off Zach, "She's been busy with work lately, but I thought it was about time to check on you so she let me leave without her."

"And she didn't let you before?" Mrs. Spicer asked, crossing her arms.

"Well....she's a very....aggressive woman, Mom." Jack sighed. "Really, really aggressive, right Zach?"

Zach laughed and nodded his head but couldn't seem to find it in himself to speak. Every time his grandmother would embrace him or speak to him he found a blush on his cheek and lost all ability to form coherent sentences. He simply nodded his head quietly and shrank into the corner as best as he could. He was coming to find that he was actually shy. He never would have known this had he stayed atop his mountain home for the rest of his life. After Mrs. Spicer had finished catching up with his dad and the tea was gone Jack decided to take him down to the basement. Mrs. Spicer promised that she hadn't even been down there since Jack left so he was certain it would still be in the same messy condition he had left it.

"Dad, do you think Father will let us come back and see Grandma? That way I might get to meet Grandpa, too."

"Now that we've been down once he'll probably be less strict from now on," Jack replied with a reassuring smile, "Anyways, here it is: The birthplace of the greatest genius to ever ally himself with evil!"

Zach snickered a little when Jack threw his arm out to direct his attention at the small room. It was nowhere near as good as the lab back home, but then again Jack had been young when he'd stayed here. He watched as Jack's smile turned a little sad. Zach could only guess at the memories that were flowing through his dad's mind at this moment. Jack walked over to a broken robot and dusted its head off. He turned and grinned at Zach before pushing himself up to sit on a table that had a map of the world on its surface.

"You can look around. I don't think anything should still be active." he said, as he kicked a mini-fridge, "Hey, a pudding cup!"

Zach laughed as Jack watched a pudding cup roll out of the abused refrigerator with a look of surprise. Zach was shocked he didn't descend on it, truth be told. He wouldn't put it passed him. He decided to take a look at the many different robots that laid scattered about the place. It looked like Jack had just up and left without even bothering to take anything with him. A large metal cabinet stood with its doors ajar against a wall, and a fluttering piece of paper caught Zach's attention. He smiled as he picked it up. It read "Shen-Gong-Wu Cheat Sheet" across the top. All around it were doodles of a strange, ghost-like creature with insults jotted over them. He folded the sheet gently and stuck it in his pocket. It would come in handy later.

He turned from the cabinet and wandered over to a somewhat closed off area. The entrance into this section of the lab was blocked off by some sort of debris. As Zach picked his way passed it he could see that most of it was machinery and wondered if there had been a fight here when Jack left. Maybe that was why he hadn't taken anything with him. He sighed when he finally managed to make his way into the area and wiped his hands on his pants. As he looked up he yelped in surprise at what his eyes landed upon. Surely he was hallucinating.

"What?!" Jack asked, stumbling and tripping as he tried to get passed the rubble, "What happened?!"

He stopped and let out a sigh of relief when he saw what had frightened his son so. It lay upon a metal slab with its eyes wide open, but it wasn't activated. He couldn't even remember having left this one here. Zach gaped at what seemed to be a corpse; a corpse with an eerily familiar pale face and spiked, red hair. He looked up to Jack with his mouth hanging open and then back at the corpse.

"What is it?" he whispered.

"A robot, of course. Pretty life-like, huh?" Jack boasted, "It's supposed to be me, actually. I made a lot of them when I was a kid. They were stronger and faster than me. They got a lot more done. They just had a bit of a rebellious streak I couldn't program out."

"Did you use them to get Shen-Gong-Wu?" Zach asked as he approached the robot.

Jack didn't answer but watched as Zach put his hands on the arm of the robot that looked so much like he once had. He watched with a strange sadness in his eyes as his son inspected it. Zach was showing far too much of an interest in Shen-Gong-Wu lately. He didn't want him to get caught up in that futile race for Wu after Wu.; the never-ending battles against the monks. Zach was stronger than Jack had been, but he still wasn't a match for the Xiaolin Dragons. Zach gasped and looked up as Jack placed an arm around his shoulders. He smiled, but his eyes were soft and sad as he pulled the goggles off the robot's head.

"Here, Zach," he sighed, placing them in his hands, "In case you ever take a break from magic and get back around to working on something."

"Thanks, Dad." Zach grinned, putting them on.

Jack seemed to cheer up at the sight and laughed. They didn't look quite as appealing on Zach's head as they did on his own, but Jack was glad to see him wear them. It made him feel like he was passing the torch on to the next generation. He suggested they leave the lair and find something fun to do in town. Zach was quick to agree, and they hurried back upstairs to say good-bye to Mrs. Spicer. This took more than an hour as the elderly woman smothered the both of them to death in her embrace. She made Jack promise to visit again soon, and Zach hoped they would be allowed. He was sure it would break Mrs. Spicer's heart if they didn't return.

They finally made it back to the jet, and Zach's smile faded as they lifted off. Jack noticed this and tried to come up with something that would cheer him up. He decided to stop in town, and the two wandered the streets in search of entertainment. The first thing they did was watch a movie. Zach seemed to enjoy the new experience greatly. He begged Jack to build him a television when they got home, but Jack wasn't sure they would be able to pick anything up in the Land of Nowhere. However, he promised to try. After the movie, they stopped at a cafe to have lunch. Zach insisted on sitting outside so he could watch the people as they passed them by on their way to their everyday, normal lives.

Unfortunately for them, two pairs of not so normal eyes were watching the two as they ate. A smile spread over the face of the woman as she turned to face her colleague, letting the binoculars hang around her neck. The red-head at her side returned the mischievous grin as she flipped her blond hair over her shoulder. He didn't need to be told who his target would be today for he was fashioned after this man. She turned her eyes back to their prey and motioned with her hand slightly. Her mechanical partner of fifteen years shot out of their cover like a flash and knocked passersby aside as he closed in on the two evil geniuses.

Jack was sipping from his teacup daintily - pinky finger extended - when he noticed the movement. He stared over his son's head in utter shock and dropped his tea. The cup crashed to the table, shattering as Jack gasped. Zach turned to see what he was gawking at, and his face mirrored his dad's as he caught sight of the red-head. The stranger launched off the railing around the cafe and landed on the table between them. Both Spicers shot to their feet as the table was crushed beneath the robot's weight.

"Dad, it's your robot!" Zach exclaimed.

"That's not mine," Jack whispered, somewhat afraid to even move, "It's....different."

"It's yours alright," a voice hissed from behind, "But better. I splurged on an upgrade."

"Katnappe!" Jack shouted.

Zach turned slowly to see who this woman was. He may not have had much experience with women, but she had the most attractive figure he'd seen by far. It was clad in leather from head to toe and long, blond hair fell from beneath her mask. The eyes within were blue and the ears atop twitched as though they were real. Unfortunately, as he turned his back to inspect her, the Robo-Jack lunged at him. He fell under the robot's weight as it wrapped its arms around his neck. Zach cried out in pain as his slender frame was slammed into the sidewalk. He gasped as he saw Katnappe's legs flash by his face. She was after his dad! The thought of his dad in danger caused him to panic, and a wave of energy exploded from his back. Robo-Jack was knocked aside. He stood quickly and ran at Katnappe's back. He could tell he wasn't going to make it before those claws were wrapped around Jack's neck. He dropped to his knees, and his momentum carried him between Katnappe's legs. She gasped as she struck flesh with her claws, but it wasn't her intended target they sunk into. Zach felt them rip through his shirt and pierce his skin. He only wrapped his arms around his dad tightly as his face screwed up in pain.

"Zach!" Jack exclaimed.

"You little brat!" Katnappe cursed, "Stay out of my way!"

She reared a hand back to smack him aside, but he turned too quickly for her to follow. Zach grabbed her wrist out of the air, frowning at her seriously. She screamed in frustration and kicked him in the stomach, sending both he and Jack to the ground. This seemed to catch the immobile robot's attention. Its head shot up, but its eyes were flickering back and forth. It was sparking with the green energy that Zach had emitted, however it still seemed to be functional.

Robo-Jack grabbed its head to prevent its spinning eyes from flying right out of their sockets. It glared at Zach and ran by Katnappe. She smirked, lowering her claws slowly. She would let Robo-Jack have the kid, but the evil doofus was hers once his son had been taken out of the picture. Zach shot to his feet and turned to face the mechanical version of his dad. He blocked its first punch easily, but the second made contact with his chest. Zach stumbled but regained his footing quickly.

A green glow erupted around the boy, and the Robo-Jack stepped back. The wave of energy hit it, knocking the mock Jack to the ground. Zach jumped into the air and aimed a flying punch at the robot. It rolled out of the way and Zach's fist hit the pavement. Cracks formed where the young Heylin's fist had landed. The Robo-Jack jumped to its feet and tried to kick Zach in the head. Jack sighed in relief as Zach ducked just in time. He did an agile back flip as the robot took a swing at him.

Robo-Jack seemed to become frustrated. It raised an arm and aimed its fist at Jack. Zach gasped as its fist exploded from its arm, heading straight at Jack. No one was going to hurt his dad! He jumped in the line of fire and placed both hands in front of him, He tried to concentrate all his energy into his palms without losing the emotional surge that made it so strong. Tendrils of green energy flickered around his fingers for a moment before bursting from his outstretched hands. It hit the robot's missile, disintegrating it in the process, but it didn't stop there. It hit Robo-Jack as well and when he fell he didn't get up again. Zach turned his eyes on Katnappe, and she gasped. He ran at her, but she jumped over his head, flipping through the air before landing beside the Robo-Jack. Zach stood in front of Jack protectively, glaring at the two angrily.

"Touch my dad," Zach stated simply, "And you die."

"Please! You're just as big a mama's boy as the dork behind you!" Katnappe responded, "Get 'im, Robo-Jack!"

"Yes, ma'm," it laughed, hopping to its feet immediately.

Jack watched in curiosity as a new hand shot from his sleeve. It reached up and pushed a button on the side of its goggles. This was new. There was a whirring sound and lines lit up on Robo-Jack's face. Its eyes burned a sudden red as the lights hit them. A similar glow from his arms and legs could be seen through the fabric of his clothes. Jack couldn't be sure what kind of program the robot had initiated, but he could bet it was some kind of power up. Zach just clenched his fists tightly and tried to keep the image of his father in his mind. He watched the way he moved during practice, the ferocity in his eyes as he threw punches at invisible enemies. Jack saw that look spill over onto Zach's face and he frowned slightly.

"_Focus, Zachary_," Chase's voice whispered into his ear, "_Failure is not an option._"

"Failure…is not an option." Zach repeated aloud, raising his head.

Robo-Jack shot from Katnappe's side, but Zach pushed off the ground first. He hit the robot head on as it approached, and the two went rolling across the ground. The heavier robot landed on top of him, but he managed to get his feet beneath it. He kicked up with all his strength and Robo-Jack lifted into the air long enough for him to roll out of the way. It hit the sidewalk hard and cursed at Zach. It stood from the crater it had made, glaring at him angrily.

Zach's eyes widened as it ran at him once more. Fists began to fly at his face, almost too fast to see. He dodged them by instinct alone. Luck was on his side because not one swing made contact. He dropped to his knees, and Robo-Jack's fist flew over his head, barely touching his spikes. He fell backwards, supporting himself with his hands as his feet shot out from under him, landing in Robo-Jack's stomach. The robot grabbed his ankles with a smirk, and he gasped. Jack screamed his name as he flew through the air. Zach hit the concrete hard and slid into a lamppost. It bent from the impact, and glass rained down on him from above.

Zach didn't have time to cradle his wounds as Robo-Jack fell upon him with a glowing fist. He rolled aside and it hit the ground instead. He didn't check to see what damage it had done to the sidewalk because it was aiming it at his face again. He dodged the wild punches with a look of shock. _It's too fast!_ A fist slammed into his right cheek, then the left. He hopped backwards and landed on a parked car in an attempt to escape the barrage, but it was useless. Robo-Jack followed. Zach tripped on his pants leg and fell to his back. Robo-Jack's fists made dents in the roof of the car as Zach dodged them. _I can't win!_,he thought, _I can't- I can't…._

"I can't do it!" Zach cried, hands rising to protected himself as best as he could, "Why can't I do it?!"

Robo-Jack looked surprised at his outburst, but that didn't mean his fists would stop. Zach waited, eyes closed, for the impact of those metallic knuckles. He could practically feel them slamming into his face, but when nothing happened he opened his eyes slowly to look. Robo-Jack's fists were certainly still flying at him, a look of fury on its face. However, they fell just short of hitting him, sending ripples through the air.

"A shield," Jack gasped, "Zach, you made a shield!"

"What?" Zach gaped, looking over to him, "I, what?"

"I've had enough of this!" Katnappe growled, running at Jack once more, "This loser dies, now!"

Zach's eyes widened, and the shield around him seemed to burst outward. The energy sent Robo-Jack flying into the air. Zach rolled off the car, running for his dad almost before his feet even touched to ground. Robo-Jack fell from the sky and crushed the car under its weight, but Zach didn't seem to take notice. He was halfway there, but Katnappe was closer than him. He just knew she would reach Jack first.

She took a swipe at Jack with her claws and caught the side of his arm as he tried to jump out of the way. He fell to his side, holding the bloody mess with a cry of pain. She raised her hand to attack once more as Jack stumbled along, trying to get to his feet. Zach reached Jack the moment Katnappe's claws fell through the air. She gasped as he stopped in front of her again, fingers wrapped tightly around her wrist once more. He stared at her with a look of intense rage, the likes of which Katnappe had never seen. Tears gathered in her wide eyes, but Zach didn't seem to take notice. He rammed his knee into her stomach, and she fell to her knees. Before she could recover he placed his boot firmly into her face. Unfortunately for Katnappe, his etiquette regarding hitting women had been discarded at the discovery of Wuya. She fell - face down, hair splayed out in front of her, and her butt in the air. Had she not been unconscious she would have screamed at the humiliation.

Robo-Jack didn't seem to care that its mistress had fallen. It stood slowly - the circuits in its eyes sparking - and faced Zach once more. Its steps seemed to be slowed, and the lights on its face died out suddenly. It looked surprised at this, but that didn't stop it from attacking again. It was slower now, and Zach didn't have any problem dodging its attacks. He stepped to the side as the robot's fists flew by his face harmlessly. He smirked at this discovery. It resembled Chase's expression so much that Jack had to stop himself from smiling even in such a serious situation. Zach decided to take the offense.

Robo-Jack was pelted with punches that hit its chest and face. Zach was fairly certain he had actually dented the replicas paper white cheek as it retreated a few feet. Zach continued to smirk at it, victory nearly a certainty now. He was caught off guard, however, as it smirked back. It raised its arm, placing it in the other hand. Zach followed its path as the robot aimed its missile again. Robo-Jack fired. Zach's face fell as he ran at the missile, but he was too late. He'd grown too cocky. The missile hit the ground in front of Jack, and rubble erupted around him as he fell to the ground. Zach stared in shock.

"Dad…"

Robo-Jack laughed as Jack rolled over, holding himself and groaning in pain. He was probably in severe pain, but he hadn't been fatally injured. Relief should have flooded Zach's veins, but he was suddenly enraged. He had failed to protect his dad. He had failed. Failure was not an option. Robo-Jack's laughter stopped as Zach began to glow. He clenched his fists tightly as his eye turned red. Bolts of energy shot from the green aura that was surrounding him. One hit the ground at Robo-Jack's feet. He jumped back with a cry of surprise, but it was drowned out by Zach's scream of rage.

Jack was sitting up when he heard a loud crack of thunder, but when he looked there was only his son. He stood, the ground around him smoking, as he stared out at what was once a normal street corner. There was nothing but rubble left. Zach fell to his knees, and landed in a heap on the broken street. Robo-Jack laid a good ten feet away, Katnappe atop it. They were both lying inside the decimated café on a pile of broken tables.

Jack struggled to his feet and limped over to his son's prone form. He wasn't sure how bad his injuries actually were – if he had any at all – but Zach was more important. He dropped to his knees with a grimace and rolled Zach over. He was still breathing, Jack discovered with a sigh of relief. He grabbed the boy under both arms and began to drag him back to the jet. He struggled to pull his son along. He still wasn't the strongest guy in the world, and his injuries weren't helping matters. He wished he hadn't parked the jet so far away.

When he reached the empty parking lot at last, he pushed Zach up into the passenger side and buckled him up tightly. Jack pushed his Zach's limp head back against the seat, observing the cuts and bruises that covered his face. Jack winced to see such painful marks on his precious son's face. The fact that Chase was going to kill him when they got home didn't make him feel any better. He hopped into the pilot's seat and took off, glancing now and then at Zach when his head lolled to the side.

Jack groaned as he came in for a landing. Chase was standing on the hangar, waiting for them. Great, that meant he had already been expecting the worst. Chase stood, arms crossed, watching as Jack fiddled with Zach's seatbelt. He hadn't done any more work today – obviously concerned with Zach's safe return – because he was wearing his more comfortable blue outfit. Jack groaned some more as he opened the door and jumped down. He didn't give Chase a single glance, afraid the slightest look would put him in a world of pain. The fact that he had ignored him already warned Chase that the outcome of their little outing hadn't been so good. His eyes narrowed suspiciously as Jack circled to the other side. He came around the jet just as Jack jerked the passenger side door open. Zach practically fell into Jack's arms, moaning slightly as his legs hit the ground. Chase's eyes widened and fangs showed in his clenched teeth.

"What have you done to my son?!" he cried, rage filling his eyes.

"Katnappe attacked us." Jack responded with a grunt.

He was still trying to drag Zach to his room. Chase noted the blood spilling down Jack's arm and the limp in his step. His eyes softened and the anger left his face. He seemed frozen in time as he watched Jack struggling with the weight of their injured child. He was uncertain as to what action he should take now. Anger had been his first choice, but Jack's injury made that impossible. He didn't know how to express concern in any other way. He walked over slowly, and Jack stopped. As those cold, golden eyes landed on Zach's pain filled face they grew concerned. Jack watched as Chase pushed a strand of his long, red hair aside gently. He would never let Zach see him acting so loving if he were awake. Jack wished he wasn't so guarded when it came to his emotions. Chase scooped the boy into his arms, cradling him as he had done when Zach was no more than a toddler. Jack smiled slightly as he remembered those days gone by.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

"_Careful!" Jack cried arms in the air. "Careful! You'll drop him!_

_Chase just smirked as he caught Zach in his arms easily. He tossed the laughing tot into the air once more. Zach waved his pudgy arms as he flew through the dark clouds that surrounded their lair. He almost touched the next cliff this time, and Jack gasped, chewing on his fingernails as he watched the child stop just before slamming his fragile head into the mountain. Chase caught him as he fell and Jack sighed in relief. He grabbed Chase's arm as he began to toss him again._

"_Don't! Are you trying to give me a heart attack over here?!" the red-head exclaimed. "Geez."_

_Chase gave him a frown and grunted in agreement. Jack released his arm and watched as Chase cradled Zach in his arms gently. The child's laughter and cries of "Again, again!" made the Heylin laugh softly. Jack smiled as Chase explained that _mommy_ didn't think it was safe. He never thought he would see the day Chase Young held a child. Well, not without eating one, anyways. He laughed at this thought, and both Chase and Zach gave him identical looks of curiosity._

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

"What was Katnappe doing at your mothers?" Chase demanded, voice lowered.

Jack's smile faded. He sighed heavily as he answered, flinching already.

"I took him to get something to eat," Jack admitted sheepishly, "After, ya know, seeing Mom."

"What's wrong with you, Spicer?!" Chase exploded, turning on him with blazing eyes, "I told you to go straight to your mother's and come straight back! Can't you obey a simple order?!"

"I wasn't aware you still considered me a lackey!" Jack raged back, "I wasn't aware I had no rights to my own son!"

"When it comes to his safety-"

Chase was interrupted by a painful moan, and both sets of eyes snapped down to Zach as he placed a hand on his side. He laid his head against Chase's chest as he opened his eyes slowly. Jack was at his side immediately. He took Zach's hand in his own and tried to smile at his son.

"Dad?"

"I'm right here, Zach," Jack whispered softly, "We're home now."

"Did I win?" Zach coughed.

"Yeah," Jack smiled, looking up to Chase, "He won."

Jack thought he could see the ghost of a smile on his cantankerous lover's face but he hid it well. Chase turned suddenly and walked away, heading for Zach's room. Jack sighed and turned to stare down at the clouds below. He frowned as he thought of the situation. Now Katnappe knew he had a son, but would she be able to guess that Zach also belonged to Chase? If she did, and word got out, Zach could truly be in danger. He'd never be able to take him off the mountain again. Jack hung his head as his heart filled with sympathy for the isolated boy. His entire life was nothing but a prison. His little bird needed to be set free soon or he would destroy himself in his desire to fly. He wrapped his arms around himself and closed his eyes. He didn't know what to do. If safety meant Zach was miserable, was that really for the best?

Chase laid Zach down on his bed gently, and Zach groaned. He expected him to leave, but he just stood there. Chase loomed over Zach with his arms crossed. He tried to avoid his father's stare, afraid he was in trouble. He looked around his room, wondering when he would leave. He shifted in his bed nervously and pain shot up his side. He couldn't contain the wince of pain that crossed his face. He grabbed at his side, but Chase grabbed his arm before it could reach its destination. Zach looked up into Chase's stern face with a worried expression spreading across his own.

"Where do you hurt?" Chase asked after a moment of tension.

Zach looked surprised at his concern. He didn't know how to respond so he looked away after a moment. He didn't want him to worry – though it felt nice to know he did – or, worse, bring shame to him somehow. What if this was a test? How was he supposed to answer? If he said yes, would that be a sign of weakness to Chase? If he said no, would he be failing some sort of trust test? He sighed at the conundrum even the simplest question became when it left his father's mouth.

"I'm fine." Zach replied at last.

"How did you win?" Chase went on.

"I used magic."

Zach looked away as he said this, nonchalantly, but not before he saw the smile that crossed Chase's face. He tried not to return the expression, but it was no use. Zach grinned widely, thoroughly satisfied with the fact that his father was proud of him. He never would have thought he would get the chance to prove to him what he could do in a real battle. He was glad Chase would never know of his first battle at the Xiaolin Temple. He would rather the Heylin warrior keep thinking that he had done well on his first fight ever. Chase patted his head softly and exited the room to find one of his warriors that could heal, leaving Zach with his thoughts.

He hurried back to the hanger to find Jack still staring out over the edge. Chase watched Jack's back for a while, the wind blowing their hair as it roared through the hanger. Jack looked up suddenly, and turned to face him. He must have felt his presence at last. He may not have been the most perceptive person in the world, but no matter how stealthy he tried to be Jack always sensed him eventually.

Jack tried to smile as Chase approached him, but it was nowhere near his usual enthusiastic grin. It was sad and made it obvious Jack was preoccupied with some inner conflict. Chase placed a hand on his cheek softly as he stopped in front of him. As Chase's thumb brushed across his pale skin soothingly Jack's smile grew warm. Jack smiled at the affectionate touch, but his heart was still troubled. He didn't know if it would be wise to say anything to Chase or not. He seemed to be in a good mood now, and Jack didn't want to risk ruining that. He placed his hands on Chase's arm softly, fingers pushing back his sleeve gently. He was glad Chase had decided to wear something more casual than his armor today. His fingers slid over his skin and the smile on his face grew. His eyes became distant as he was distracted by the beauty of Chase's perfect skin.

"Are you hurt?" Chase asked, bringing him back to reality.

"Not too bad, I guess," Jack shrugged, smile fading, "How's Zach?"

"I sent Sauda to attend to him. Do you need healing?"

"I dunno. Maybe later. It's not important," he sighed, leaning into Chase's arms.

Chase would have Sauda see to him later. He smiled as he wrapped Jack up in a tight embrace, face hidden behind his hair so no one would ever know. He felt Jack's fingers curling in the back of his shirt as he breathed in heavily. It was different from the breath he took in order to inhale Chase's sent. Chase could hear the disappointment in that deep sigh, but he would say nothing about it. He knew it would be about Zach and there would be another argument. He knew Jack didn't want that anymore than he did.

Zach sat up slowly, back still aching, as Sauda turned from him. She was the one who knew how to heal and Zach had seen her in human form – outside of battle - more often than any of the other warriors. Her skin was dark, her hair short, and her eyes full of compassion. He had no idea how she had come to be under his father's control, but he had always felt it would be rude to ask. The long legs and arms that hung at her side began to grow black fur. She was going to return to her panther form.

"Wait, Sauda!" Zach called.

She turned and stared at him silently. He wondered if he could trust her. She may have called him master, but her true master was Chase Young. If it was a matter of power Chase outranked him by far. He owned this woman. Yet, she was the kindest of all his warriors. Did that mean he could trust her with his secret? Or would he be hanging himself?

"Yes, Master Zachary?" she whispered after a moment.

"Would you do something for me?"

"Yes."

"And not tell my father?"

This gave the woman pause. She looked away from the young boy. She had been summoned to heal his childhood injuries obtained from Chase's rough training often enough. However, she could not disobey Chase even if she wanted to. Zach knew this, and she knew this. She shook her head slowly.

"If he asks of me, I must obey."

"But if he doesn't ask…" Zach began.

"I will do what I can for you Master Zachary. If he asks, I can not be blamed."

"I know." Zach smiled. "I just need you to bring me something."

He held up what appeared to be a Shen-Gong-Wu. Zach grinned at his ingenuity. He knew he would need a Wu for battling the Xiaolin Dragons, but he couldn't keep stealing the Monkey Staff. And what if he lost it again? He had worried about this ever since his last battle, but this would be the solution to all his problems. He would have Sauda switch the real Wu with this replica he had made. He would just have to hope Jack didn't take it out anytime soon. He was sure his dad would recognize the feel of metal quickly enough. She gave him a slight smile as he explained what she was to do and took the staff from him. She gave him a quick nod before exiting the room. Zach sighed and fell back into his covers. He would take a nap for now. He'd certainly need his energy later.


End file.
